13. Dolina Odry między Rzeczycą a Ścinawą (The Odra Valley between Rzeczyca and Ścinawa)

MOTIVES:

1. Habitats: 8 (3150, 6410, 6430, 6510, 9170, 91D0 , 91E0, 91F0).
2. Bird species (BD): 15.
3. Animal species: 18 (HD II - 7, HD IV - 1, HD V - 3, KB - 7).
4. Plants - 13 (HD V - 1, KB I - 2, RB - 10).

AREA:

SPA, SAC

AREA:

Approximately 6500 ha.

DESCRIPTION:

The most valuable stretch of the upper Odra valley (along km 297-334). Due to high natural values, it has been suggested that it - as a whole - should be protected (Macicka, Wilczyńska 1993, Bobrowicz 1995, Jankowski, Świerkosz 1995), even in the rank of national park. The code in the net of refuges in Poland GOC200400 (unpublished materials IOP). This region is valuable from many perspectives:
1. Listed as a bird refuge of the European rank, (Grimmet, Jones 1992, Gromadzki et al. 1994).
2. It contains over 1500 ha. of riverine forests, wet mesophilouse oak-hornbeam forests and the last bigger saved fragments of willow-poplar gallery forest - in many sites these fragments are under extensive forest management, as a consequence of which they have been preserved in a state close to natural (Świerkosz et al. 1999).
3. It contains nine fragmentary refuges covered with floodplain meadows and unfertilized grasslands with fluctuating water level of a high protection (needs!!!) and naturally precious (Świerkosz 2000);

In this refuge, there are eleven subrefuges of different area distinguished altogether, but partly overlapping (Świerkosz 2000). In spite of a very high level of scientific recognition, lots of animal groups (e.g. bats and invertebrates) demand further investigation.

The whole complex extend across the area from hundreds of meters of the river terrace between the dikes up to 3 km off () and is limited by villages: Rzeczyca - Prawików - Lubiąż - Gliniany - Domaszków - Tarchalice - Boraszyn - Małowice - Przyborów - Ścinawa - Dziewin - Grzybów - Malczyce. A part of the complex known as “Korea" Riverine Forest (in the mouth of Kaczawa river) is considered as the most valuable fragment of elm-ash forest in the Odra valley.

REFUGES CORINE BIOTOPES:

The area is in reach of the following refuges: 353 - Odrzańskie Riverine Forests
353a - Korea Riverine Forest
322 - The Odra between Ścinawa and Głogów (small fragment downstream of Ścinawa)

Habitats: A mosaic of forest communities preserved in a good or very good condition, containing elm-ash forests Ficario-Ulmetum - 44.4.1 (44.42), humid oak-hornbeam forests Galio-Carpinetum - 41.241, willow-poplar gallery forests - 44.132 and regenerative stages of these groups. A small area is covered by communities of ash-alder forests Circaeo-Alnetum - 44.3341 and swamp alder woods Ribo nigri-Alnetum - 44.9112. They are accompanied by many other plant communities, including phytocoenoses of Magnopotamnion and Hydrocharition - 22.13, Magnocaricion - 53.21 and Phragmition - 53.1 (mostly Phragmitetum australis, Typhetum latifoliae, Glycerietum maximae) and meadows from the alliance of Molinion - 37.31 and Alopecurion - 32.8, which, altogether, cover the area of approximately 300 ha. Small fragments of refuges are covered by communities of lowland hay meadows (Arrhenatheretalia 38) and dry thermophilous grassland communities (Festuco-Brometea - 34.3). The whole area is abundant in oxbow lakes in all stages of development (from shallowed and drying ones to those connected with Odra), tiny water systems, swamps and spring fens.

species:

1. Birds BD: Ixobrychus minutus** (1 pair), Ciconia nigra (2 pairs), Ciconia alba* (numerous) Pernis apivorus* (6-7 pairs), Milvus migrans (8-10 pairs), Milvus milvus (4-5 pairs), Haliaeetus albicilla (1? couple), Circus aeruginosus** (2 pairs), Grus grus (4-5 pairs), Alcedo atthis* (5 pairs), Picus canus* (10-12 pairs), Dendrocopos medius (120 pairs), Ficedula parva* (at least 1 couple), Ficedula albicollis (25-30 pairs), Porzana porzana* and Cygnus cygnus (probably hatches)

THE RED BOOK:

4 species, together with the list "Natura 2000" (Ciconia nigra, Haliaeetus albicilla, Milvus milvus, Porzana porzana).

Potentially endangered and regionally rare: Anas crecca, Anas strepera, Anas querquedula, Gallinago gallinago, Scolopax rusticola, Columba oenas. Mergus merganser, Falco subbuteo, Tringa ochropus.

OTHERS:

Tringa totanus, Remiz pendulinus. Ardea cinerea (colony - 135 nests). Over 100 (probably 121) species of birds nest in the refuge and altogether 160 species were noticed here. Biodiversity of the area around the village Tarchalice is bigger than other oak-hornbeam forest in Poland. A general bird density (77,1 pairs/10 ha.) is lower than in other sites in Poland - 81,4-91,1 species/10 ha., and is close to the density in Białowieża, though (61,2-75,9 pairs/10 ha.), which proves the natural character of the oak-hornbeam forest group. Researches in the area of " Korea" oak-hornbeam forest have shown the occurrence of a group composed of 56 species of general density 88,5 pairs/10 ha.
• Other animal species

  HD II - Cerambyx cerdo, Misgurnus fossilis, Cobitis taenia, Triturus cristatus, Bombina bombina, Castor fiber*, Myotis myotis.

  HD IV - Hyla arborea.

  HD V - Barbus barbus, Rana esculenta, Martes martes.

  KB - Silurus glanis (III), Bufo bufo (III), Lacerta vivipara (III), Natrix natrix (III), Anguis fragilis (III), Rana temporaria (III), Meles meles (III).

PROTECTED:

Argyope bruennichi, Talpa europaea
• Plants

  HD V Galanthus nivalis

  KB I - Trapa natans, Salvinia natans

  The Red List - Gladiolus palustris (cat. E), Epipactis palustris (cat. V), Dactylorhiza maculata (cat. V), Cephalanthera rubra (cat. V), Lathyrus palustris, (cat. V), Cnidium dubium (cat. V), Rosa gallica (cat. V), Carex pulicaris (cat. V), Viola persicifolia (cat.V), Melampyrum cristatum (cat. R).

PROTECTED:

Over 30 species including, among others: Dactylorhiza majalis, Listera ovata, Platanthera bifolia, Epipactis helleborine, Neottia nidus avis, Centaurium erythraea subsp. erythraea, Gentiana pneumonanthe, Iris sibirica, Dianthus armeria, Dianthus superbus, Digitalis grandiflora, Gladiolus imbricatus, Lilium martagon, Nuphar luteum, Nymphaea alba, Nymphaea candida, Ornithogallum collinum, Ornithogallum umbellatum, Primula veris, Hedera helix, Galium odoratum, Convallaria majalis and Muscari comosum.

OTHERS:

We have not at our disposal a full list of flora of this region yet, however, the number of vascular plant species can be estimated at 600-700 taxa. Only in nature reserve "Odrzyska" and its buffer zone (the area of around 20 ha.), there were recorded 232 taxa of vascular plants (Macicka, Wilczyńska 1995).

DANGERS:

Intensive forest economy, uncontrolled tree-cuttings on the river terrace between dikes, disturbance in the circulation of groundwater and drying of this area as a result of drainage, drying and shallowing of oxbow lakes, cutting a part of the area from regular inundations, eutrophication of waters in oxbow lakes, planned hydrotechnical investments (weirs) in the region of Rzeczyca and Lubiąż, synathropisation of the flora of this area (Fraxinus pensylvanica, Reynoutria sp., Solidago sp., Aster sp. can be reckoned expansive species). However, in the case of meadows: abandonment of farm practices, development of nitrophilous species, turning them into arable land, sowing of mixtures of alien grass species etc.

PROTECTION STATUS:

A refuge of birds of the European rank (E - IBAE Poland 046). So far there have been only nature reserves: "Odrzyska" (1987; 5,15 ha.) and "Korea Riverine Forest" (2000; 79,35 ha.). There have been some others in projects: "Gliniany", "Szafirek", "Salwinia w Boraszynie", "Lubiąż Riverine Forests" (650 ha.), "Tarchalice Oak-hornbeam Forests" (385 ha.), "Boraszyński Ług" (130 ha.) and 5 ecological grounds, among others "Ścinawskie Swamps" (Bobrowicz 1995a, 1995b). The state of preservation should be reckoned highly insufficient and demanding improvement urgently.

<< Previous | Next >>